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PHILADELPHIA — Joel Embiid returned after hurting his right knee in the first quarter Thursday and scored 20 points in the Philadelphia 76ers’ 123-112 win over the Toronto Raptors.
A foot issue had put his availability in doubt before the game. Listed as questionable for right foot plantar fascia management, Embiid said at shootaround that the medical staff would decide whether he could play, according to ESPN’s Kris Rhim, and the Sixers upgraded him to available before tip-off. LeBron James did not play, missing his third game of the season with lower back/sciatica management.
Joel Embiid Returns From Knee Scare vs. Toronto Raptors
The Sixers called timeout with 8:30 left in the first quarter after Embiid stayed down following knee-to-knee contact on a ball screen. He grabbed at his right knee, was helped to the locker room, and checked back in with 5:26 left in the quarter, according to NBC Sports Philadelphia.
In 28:20, he had 4 rebounds and 3 assists while making 7 of 17 shots and 6 of 7 free throws while missing all three of his three-point attempts. Tyrese Maxey led Philadelphia with 27 points and 8 assists, and the Sixers took control late in the third quarter, leading 96-87 entering the fourth. Philadelphia improved to 10-3.
Embiid Puts Slow Start On Himself
Embiid entered the night averaging 17.7 points on 37.0% shooting and 12.1% from three-point range. At shootaround, he pushed back on a question about how many ball-dominant players are in Philadelphia’s starting lineup, saying he is not one, that Maxey can play off the ball, and that Jaylen Brown is not one either.
“I think we have the ultimate connectors in, you know, LeBron and me,” Embiid said in video posted by Dave Uram. “You know, you just want to make the right plays and, you know, pass the ball. Make the game easy for, you know, VJ, Reese, you know, JB. So, yeah, like I said, you know, I put it on myself. Quite frankly, I just haven’t been aggressive, you know. So I think it’s on me to just be aggressive about, you know, making plays, whether it’s scoring or making, you know, plays for someone else.”
LeBron James Misses Third Game With Sciatica Management
James, who turns 42 on Dec. 30, is averaging 15.1 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 6.5 assists in 10 games in his first season in Philadelphia. The team has not announced a return date. Philadelphia is off Friday and Saturday, then hosts the Indiana Pacers on Sunday and plays at the Brooklyn Nets on Monday.
The Sixers were also without Adem Bona (cervical spine sprain), Dominick Barlow (lower back stress reaction), and Ariel Hukporti (right Achilles tendon tear). The team said Bona will be re-evaluated in about one week.
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